Apparel Online India Issue 1-15 March '18 | Page 50
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HCA bats for stronger Government support to the industry
T
he apparel export industry is
amidst a crisis that has not
only eroded its competitiveness,
but has also slowed down its
growth substantially. Sadly, this
critical condition has been brought
upon by the ‘uncertainty’ created
by continuous changes in policy
and major blockages of funds
that have rendered the industry
short on liquidity to invest in the
business. As an integral part of this
industry, Anil Anand, MD, HCA,
one among the leading technology
providers, is really worried about
the situation and is all praise for
the entrepreneurial spirits of the
industry players that have kept them
going despite all the challenges.
The past year has been a difficult
one for exporters and yet they came
in large numbers to the recently
concluded GTE to see the latest
technology. This fighting attitude
of the players has been the biggest
saviour at a time when no one
really knows where the direction is.
“There has to be stability in policy;
every day we see some change
or the other… The Government
is reactionary to how people are
responding to announcements; there
is no firm stand, so no one knows
what to expect next,” argued Anand.
He firmly believes that the industry
is willing to invest, but is holding
back for clarity.
A clear direction that he does see
today is the migration of companies
towards newer destinations. “For
many years I have been propagating
that industry needs to move closer
to the catchment areas and now I
see it happening. Companies are
seriously exploring options, whether
it is Odisha, Jharkhand, Telangana
or any other destination and this
movement could spearhead a fresh
lease of life to the garment export
industry,” said Anand. He adds
that given the current facilities
and infrastructure that these
new destinations are offering,
Anil Anand (L), MD, HCA with his son Bhavya Anand
ESSENTIALS
Despite the
positive change
in mindset that
Anand observes
in the industry,
he rues the
fact that the
Government is
not as supportive
as it should
be. Giving the
classic example
of China, Anand
reasons that
for any country
to progress
smoothly, the
support of the
Government
is a must, but
unfortunately in
India, the industry
is left to fend for
itself many times.
the industry need not look at
foreign locations like Ethiopia and
Bangladesh for new factories to
be competitive. In the meanwhile,
the technology providers are also
gearing up to support the industry
in its new direction and many are
searching options to set up offices in
the new areas.
Anand is also very happy with the
increased acceptance of automation
by the industry, and is positive
that this interest will continue to
increase. “Every one is talking about
affordable automation, but if you see
our logo, we have a line that says
‘making automation affordable is our
goal’. Today a button feeder which
was considered automation some
years ago is a common technology.
The price has come down by 50%
and this is because both the demand
and production of the machine has
increased,” avered Anand. He feels
that the industry is not only ready for
automation, but it is also the need of
the hour.
Despite the positive change in
mindset that Anand observes in the
industry, he rues the fact that the
Government is not as supportive as it
should be. Giving the classic example
50 Apparel Online India | MARCH 1-15, 2018 | www.apparelresources.com
of China, Anand reasons that for
any country to progress smoothly,
the support of the Government is a
must, but unfortunately in India, the
industry is left to fend for itself many
times. “I am a bigger supporter of the
‘Make in India’ slogan, and have even
tried to manufacture machines in
the country, but it is not viable. Even
after imports, the Chinese machines
are 5-7% cheaper than my machines,”
shared Anand. The reason of course
is that the manufacturing cost in
China is heavily subsidised and other
tax benefits make the machines so
much more competitive on a global
platform.
Anand also strongly feels that the
age-old labour laws need to be
relooked at. “Everyone wants to
retain performers, but why should
the indu